The $7.25 federal minimum wage perversely forces many workers to government benefits, costing taxpayers even more.

Every year I do my best to donate to other families in need, especially during the holidays. But lately, it has been nearly impossible to give back when my paycheck isn’t enough to help with my own mounting debt.

My job as a manager at a McDonald’s in Nashville, Tennessee, doesn't provide enough to cover essentials like electric bills and rent. Lately, it has been especially challenging as I recover from an emergency brain surgery, which left me with $4,200 worth of debt in medical bills.

Being paid $15 an hour would spare me and my family from the stress of finding a way to pay off these bills. I'd be able to recover without having to lose sleep over how I'll be able to afford my rent and utilities on top of this debt. It would also leave me with a little extra money to afford additional toiletries and groceries I could donate to other families in need.

Right now, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are talking about raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour nationwide. A $15 wage would be life-changing for working people like me, and that's why I'm calling on representatives — Tennessee's specifically — to support this bill.

A $15 wage seemed unthinkable back when fast-food workers first walked off the job in 2012. Seven years later, we’ve turned it into a reality for millions of people.

The House bill is the ultimate example of how far we've come. Just a few years ago, no one was talking about the minimum wage. Now $15 is one of the top priorities for House Democrats — and we won't stop fighting until we've won it for all Americans.

Winning $15 across the country, not just in a handful of states, will ensure that fast-food and other low-wage workers like me get paid fairly no matter where we live.

Without a living wage, workers need government aid

Big corporations like McDonald's have done everything they could to keep wages low by fighting minimum wage increases.

As a result, working people like me have had to rely on food stamps, housing support and other kinds of public assistance just to stay afloat at one point or another.

More than half of fast-food workers around the country rely on public assistance to make ends meet, this group and other working families are costing taxpayers $152.8 billion a year.

Taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing wages that McDonald's keeps too low to make ends meet. By voting for $15 an hour, our representatives can make it possible for everyone to have a fair shot — not just the wealthy and connected.

Already, 205 members of Congress have signed on to cosponsor the House bill calling for a $15 minimum wage. We need everyone to support this bill.